1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to caskets, and, more particularly, to caskets having decorative hardware attached to the exterior thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Burial caskets typically include an elongated body portion and a corresponding top. Decorative upholstery is usually fastened to the interior of the casket, and decorative hardware may be fastened to the exterior of the casket. The decorative hardware may be made of suitable material such as metal, plastic, or wood. The shape, color and material of the decorative hardware may vary with an individual casket depending on religious beliefs, personal taste, and cost of the casket.
It is known in the art to fasten decorative hardware to the exterior of a casket using fasteners such as bolts which pass through the decorative hardware and the body portion of a casket. An example of such decorative hardware is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,624 issued to Harrell. Such decorative hardware, however, requires alteration of the body portion of the casket such as providing apertures for fasteners to pass through to attach the decorative hardware. Moreover, tools are required to attach such decorative hardware to the casket. Further, fasteners used to attach the decorative hardware to the casket are visible and detract from the aesthetic appeal of the casket.
It is also known, e.g., from U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,091 issued to Kendall, to attach a fastening means to the backside of decorative hardware such that the fastening device, a bolt for instance, is not visible from the front of the decorative hardware. Because the fastening device is attached to the backside of the decorative hardware, it is necessary for the fastening device to extend through the casket body or top so that the decorative hardware can be drawn securely against the body or top. It is therefore necessary to alter the body portion of the casket and to access the interior of the casket to attach the decorative hardware. It is undesirable to access the interior of a casket for this purpose as it entails the possibility of damage to the decorative interior upholstery of the casket.
Corner pieces for a casket may be attached by forming each corner piece with a portion at each outward end thereof which engages the top rail and bottom rail of the casket. Such a corner piece is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,394 issued to Semon. A corner piece having a portion thereof which extends over the top rail may, however, interfere with sealing of the casket between the body and top. Moreover, it may be desirable, e.g., for aesthetic appeal, to have a corner piece which extends between the top and bottom rail, but which does not extend over the top and bottom rail. Finally, such a corner piece is undesirably removable from the casket without the use of tools.
Decorative hardware of conventional design is not easily attached to the exterior of a casket. Providing a casket having a specific combination of decorative hardware therefore requires two conventional solutions directed to the problem of overcoming the aforementioned difficulty of attachment. One solution is to maintain a large inventory of caskets having various configurations of decorative hardware. Maintaining a large inventory of variously decorated caskets allows prompt shipment of a casket upon receipt of an order, but undesirably increases capital required for maintaining such a large inventory.
An alternative solution is to maintain a plurality of caskets in stock with little or no decorative hardware attached thereto. Upon receipt of a customer order, desired decorative hardware may be attached to the exterior of the casket immediately prior to shipment. However, as noted above, conventional decorative hardware requires the use of tools and/or access to the interior of the casket. The use of tools to tighten fastening devices for attaching the decorative hardware to the casket increases labor costs associated with the casket. Furthermore, accessing the interior of a casket may result in damage to or soiling of the upholstery.
What is needed in the art is a casket to the exterior of which various types and configurations of decorative hardware may be fastened without the use of tools and without accessing the interior of the casket whereby a basic casket can be stocked which can be decorated depending on the desires of the customer. Such an arrangement would drastically reduce the needed inventory of caskets.
Furthermore, what is needed is a casket including decorative hardware which is attached to the casket without the use of tools but which cannot be easily removed from the casket.
An additional need in the art is decorative hardware which may be fastened to the exterior of a casket without the use of tools, and which does not result in visible and unsightly fastening hardware for attaching the decorative hardware to the exterior of the casket.